Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-10
A MAN WITH A MEMORY.
CAPTURE OF A SUPPOSED SPY IN
SIDE THE FEDERAL LINES.

The Suspect Answers Every Question "as
Straight as a String"-AISebra in a
Boot-Repeating the Roll-Entrapped
at Last.
Just before Sherman advanced on his
Georgia campaign man supposed to be a
Confederate spy was one day arrested in a
Union camp. He was in Federal uniform,
but his look and language were Enthusiastically
southern. He claimed to belong TO a regi-
ment in another camp about two miles away,
ana be was sent to the guard house until his
assertion could be verified or disproved. 1t
was in the camp Of a Wisconsin regiment
that the spy, who gave his name as George
Swift, was arrested. he had come there os-
tensibly to visit friends, but some of the boys
had seen him slvly taking notes, and be had
asked such questions as no private Federal
soldier would have any use for. The boys
had no sooner got the idea that the stranger
was spy than they gave information to me,
and | put him under arrest | saw at q
glance that be was of southern birth. This
was not so much against him, for at that time
we had plenty of Tennessee and Kentucky
men with Us.
''What command do you belong to?"
asked.
''The ---th Illinois," no replied.
] asked what brigade ana division, who was
his captain and various other things, and he
returned what seemed to be straight answers
to every question When | asked who he
had come to visit in the Wisconsin regiment
he was lame He mentioned the name of
man 10 one had ever heard Of 1t was on
this point alone that held him. A messen-
ger was at once sent after the Illinois captain
named, and in about an hour he appeared.
The supposed spy was taken TO the tent of the
brigade general, and as soon as brought face
TO face with the captain he saluted and said:
Capt. Norton, the people here seem to
think | am a rebel spy"
And who are your queried the captain,
plainly astonished.
"Do you ask that" reproachfullv inquired
tho man. "lVho should l be but George
Swift of your own company" d.
"You can't be. l never saw you before in
my life"
''Why, Capt. Norton"
The two men looked at each other as if
doubling their own senses, and the general
asked of Swift:
How long have you been with his COM
pany."
"Four months, sir. l came down as re-
cruit from Pekin."
"Who is your orderly sergeantsn y.
"Sergt. White, sir"
"Who are your commissioned officersp
Capt Morton, First Lieut.. Green, and
Lieut. Davis The latter is home on fur.
Tough"
How many men in the companym
"Fifty-eight, sir"
"Wbo ale your tent mates!"
oscar Jackson, Thomas Parker, and John
Pridgeon."
We'll, captain:" queried the general, as he
tsIned to Capt. Morton.
The captain was clean beat. He was dead
sure that no such man belonged to his COM
pany, and yet the suspect had answered every
question as straight as a string.
"I'll stake nv life that I never saw this man
before" the captain finally answered, "and
know every man iii my company by name"
The spy was ordered to strip to his shirt, and
for the first time his GOODNESS seemed to desert
him. He reproached the captain for per-
hitting this indignity, but slowly disrobed.
In one of his boot legs a pocket, ana in
this pocket we found a paper bearing figures
as follows: